March 20, 2012

I missed this one. It happened last Thursday. I guess I'm not covering the "Wisconsin protests" story with sufficient vigilance! Blah! It never ends. Anyway, tons of teenagers were in Madison for the big high school basketball tournament. They came from all over the state, drastically tipping the political balance. As Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op reports it (and I'm getting to this belatedly, via Prof. Jacobson, via Instapundit):

On Thursday March 15, 2012 the afternoon Solidarity Sing Along was taken over by a large group of supporters from Lutheran High School in Sheboygan...

Shouts of “LHS” and “Stand with Walker” thundered through the rotunda and was met with wide approval from the LHS supporters. One student entered the circle to mock and taunt the singers with dance moves.

Taunting with dance moves! There's video, but it doesn't include the dance-taunt, which I can only imagine. What would it be, some basketball-madness-Walker-loving hula?

Ha ha. I love the way Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op — with its ability to detect dance mockery — fails to notice the students singing along with "Solidarity Forever" and making it horribly off key. Maybe the Co-op thinks the Solidarity Singers are always that badly out of tune. That's so sad for the folks who so diligently gather day after day to sing with their clenched fists thrust aloft.

The Solidarity Sing Along remained calm and peaceful throughout the ordeal and eventually moved outside to continue singing while the rotunda erupted in approval.

That's written as if the singers have a prior claim on the public space. It's speaking as if the singers were giving a planned performance to an assembled audience that wants to listen. For example, when Sarah Palin spoke at the Capitol last April, there was an assembled crowd eager to hear her, and the anti-Walker protesters did everything they could to boo and shout and frustrate everybody who wanted to hear:

At the Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op blog post, there's some good discussion in the comments. Someone called Sam says:

Why do you think it’s alright for the protesters to give their opinion, but not alright for any other opinion to be given? I didn’t hear any mocking or taunting, only the two chants.

Tyler says:

It is SUCH a crime to celebrate a victory from the first time LHS has ever been at state. We had a right to be there just as much as the singers were. How do you think some of us feel when we try to live our lives and are being pestered by “Recall Walker” activists? You can’t walk down the block in Madison without being talked to by someone. We weren’t there to be political or anything, we were there to celebrate our team. The singers just happened to be there at the same time.

Josh says:

We were taunting and harrassing? I was called a facist, told my savior was a homosexual, and called ignorant and stupid, all within like, 15 minutes. And we were harrassing and taunting? By saying LHS, and showing our support for our governor? Really?

RanDomino replies:

Who put them up to it?

Also, Jesus was gay, and fuck Scott Walker.

Kay says:

Let me just tell you that the people from LHS were invited there and indeed got a permit to be there. They never said anything wrong. They just said “stand with walker” and “LHS” to celebrate their basketball team on their state victory. I never heard ANYTHING bad thing come out of one of their mouths. They also did nothing to harass any of the protesters. It’s funny because Scott Walker did more for everyone than the protesters are nagging about. Please get some jobs. It’s not going to do anything for you guys if you stand in the middle of the Capitol building singing songs. And also, if you aren’t happy about our governor or the way we run our state, please leave. We don’t need any more hate in this world.

I love how these protesters flatter themselves by thinking that the students were there to cheer or taunt them, when really the students and LHS crowd had no idea the solidarity singers were going to be there. And if these singers can sing their opinion, it is certainly fair that other people can come to the capitol and voice their support for our governor as well.

Tell me about it. Last time I ventured among the protesters, I was taunted and harassed, as I walked, ostensibly alone. I was asked where my husband was and "Who's going to save you when you get attacked?" And a year ago, of course, I received notice that the city of Madison was "OCCUPIED" by people who "have the numbers" and have "revoked" my "city of Madison privileges":

Did you really think this could go on forever? That you could sit on the steps of our house, walk the streets of our city, lie about us to strangers, tell gun-toting rednecks from out of state and the Northwoods how depraved and deserving of punishment we are all while maintaining plausible deniability for any of the consequences that your actions might cause?

I was told "WE WILL FUCK YOU UP" by people who were going to come to my home to harass me, and given a list of shops and restaurants where these people supposedly worked, and I was no longer permitted to go:

We will Walker you straight out of the place whenever you show up. We are at every coffee shop on State, open to close, all the time. We will hang up wanted posters of you everywhere you like to go. We will picket on public property as close to your house as we can every day. We will harrass the ever loving shit out of you all the time. Campus is OCCUPIED. State street is OCCUPIED. The Square is OCCUPIED. Vilas, Schenk's Corners, Atwood, Willy Street – Occupied, Occupied, Occupied, Occupied. Did you really think it was all about the Capitol? Fuck the Capitol, we are the CITY.

But folks from the Northwoods and elsewhere in the state were in town last week. It was all about basketball and wholesome fun in the capital city, where everyone in the state belongs. Especially Sam Dekker — whatever his politics. From what I've seen, the University of Wisconsin is a huge place, full of people who care more about sports than politics. So don't hesitate to come here, sports fans, Walker fans, and everybody else. We need you! We need more air in this musty old cocoon.

I was never much for “school spirit” when I was in high school but I was always happy when someone I knew made it to State or the nationals. I think it’s fitting that these young people – some of whom may be able to vote in the recall – which turned out to celebrate the achievements of their classmates are supporting the governor and opposing the Occupiers.

We could probably save a lot of aggravation and make everybody happy if we create a new State from the south end of Chicago to the North end of Madison and lump the pro-public sector democrats together.

Has there ever been an instance of voices counter to the recallers NOT being faced with ugliness?

How awesome is LHS! Awesome win, and awesome display at the Capitol. One of those kids has more class than everyone of the lazy ass selfish fucks that protest and sing at the Capitol.

"edutcher said...Well, I guess there's hope for WI."

I see similar statements made here on Althouse all the time. Again, please do not confuse "Madison" with Wisconsin. This crap does not go on all over the state. Assholes like garage, while the rule in Madison, are the exception elsewhere.

I see similar statements made here on Althouse all the time. Again, please do not confuse "Madison" with Wisconsin. This crap does not go on all over the state. Assholes like garage, while the rule in Madison, are the exception elsewhere

You keep saying that even though you know it's not true. Every county in Wisconsin turned in recall petitions. Two Repub senators got recalled outside Madison, and three Dem senators were reelected outside Madison. But you are a perfect example of a Walker supporter. You lie as easily as you breathe.

You keep saying that even though you know it's not true. Every county in Wisconsin turned in recall petitions. Two Repub senators got recalled outside Madison, and three Dem senators were reelected outside Madison. But you are a perfect example of a Walker supporter. You lie as easily as you breathe."

I wasn't referring to opposition to Walker Corky. I was talking about the non-stop thuggish behavior on permanent display at the Capitol.

Primaries in May, election in June. They have two declared candidates. Kathleen Falk, three time state wide loser. And Kathleen Vinehout, a stuttering lefty idiot transplant from Illinois. All that work. And they get this. So sad. Too bad.

The D candidate is the dim-witted Kathleen Falk, a Madison lefty so caught up in the chanting that she already promised the public unions that she would not sign a budget into law until public sector collective bargaining was restored. In return, the unions promised support to her instead of the other interested D's in a magnificient display of overt quid pro quo.

Personally, she has a minor lisp that begins to grate after you realize that you can't ignore it when she speaks.

The only interesting prt now is whether Walker wins the recall by a larger margin than he won the governor's race.

You'd be mistaken to think that the displays in Madison are indicative of what's occurring in the rest of the state.

Even in Racine, which is a strong union town, there's heavy support for Walker. I've seen several city blocks where the buildings all display signs favoring Walker. Here's one, every house on the block has a Walker or Wanggaard sign:http://i.imgur.com/rZvfw.jpg

He also pointed out that a lot of the protest (and money) was "bused in from outta state".

Madison thugs, errr, I mean out of state thugs! You ever get tired of getting buffaloed like that, or is it you just don't mind the nonstop lying?

Here I thought Van Susteren was live in Milwaukee to announce a major update in the John Doe case, like a real journalist might do. Nope. A great big platform was given to Walker to try and drag him over the finish line.

I suppose the "private school" religious kids dont count as human voices in the world of some commenters who routinely display their contempt for the redneck and hillbilly. Which kind of human being is recognized in the progressive world as deserving of a hearing? Do progressives use their faith to cover for their poor educations or are they ashamed of their hick parents? It has to be one or the other because they are clearly not products of private schools where disciplined action and thought are required.

Haha. garage actually prefers her. He finds her "smart and personable" and tries to pass he off as a "A dairy farmer from Alma" Of course she isn't a diary farmer anymore, and while she lives in Alma, she isn't from Alma. She has only lived in WI seven years.

But to say he was not an advisor when the candidate's website states otherwise is arguing semantics or misleading.

The candidates website says no such thing. He was a consultant on tax policy for the Illinois Office of Management and Budget for three months. If this weren't so stupid it would be amusing. But, I can only go to war with the right wing I have, not the one I wished I had!

The difference between the right and left is that the right doesn't glorify politicians. So garage - if you don't see many pro-Walker protesters it's because we just aren't into protesting. We have jobs and shit to do.

I forgot what I'm supposed to be responding. Honestly. Doug Kane owns a consulting business that specializes in economic and public policy issues. He was hired under contract for 3 months to analyze gross tax receipts.

Like I said earlier, that doesn't necessarily mean he was a bad guy. It means that a bad guy hired him once. Both he and his wife can say that, and probably should, rather than pretending there is no association.

My argument is loony? I said he was an advisor to the Governor and base that on the fact that his wife states that he worked for the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. In what world is that loony?

My argument is loony? I said he was an advisor to the Governor and base that on the fact that his wife states that he worked for the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. In what world is that loony?

Kane's company was hired on contract to do the work on gross tax receipts analysis, not Kane himself, therefore he was not an adviser to Blago.

He worked for an OMB office for the state.

You don't know who hired him.

If Kane's company wasn't hired, another similar to his would have, to do the tax work.

If Kane was an adviser, so were the thousands of firms hired by hundreds of state agencies and departments.

Wasn't Feingold thinking of running? I would have thought he would have made a better showing.

Feingold is making too much money right now making speeches and lecturing at colleges to bother with an election.

Feingold will go the route of Tommy Thompson did after he left the Bush administration - take a few years off from politics, make a pile of money on the lecture circuit and in the private sector, and then re-enter politics at some point when its advantageous for him.

Rarely am I able to make it to the end of the comments on Althouse. What makes some Wisconsinites so argumentative? For that matter, why are they upset enough to carry on those ugly demonstrations for months? They seem to have it pretty good. I live a thousand miles from Madison, but I visited the city once and it's clear just by looking around that the state is quite wealthy and has been for a very long time. Really, is there anything besides a bit of chilly weather to complain about up there?

How is that not a backhanded critique of LHS? I don't have a video to look at, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

You're wrong. In the future, considering your track record, it will be far more efficient if I tell you when you're right.

Your sentence could be taken in two different ways.

No, not really, but go on...

First, if the opposing team was on defense, they were poor by east coast standards, or, a back-handed way of saying LHS' offense could not compete with east coast standards.

My statement was very clear. It specifically addresses the last possession by LHS; therefore the opposing team was on defense.

If you watch the video, you'll see the defensive tactics and execution were poor. Actually, they were shockingly poor. Considering this was a statewide high school championship game, the standard of defensive play on that possession was well below the standard of play in most east coast states.

Second, the opposing team had the last possession you mentioned, meaning LHS' defense was not up to east coast standards.

o_O

Either way, it appears you wanted to go out of your way to the religious school's team.

Your comment represents a really pathetic attempt to try to find an insult you can tie to religion. Face it--Wisconsin high school basketball isn't particularly good. Maybe you can try to link that statement to a perceived anti-cheese bias. Good luck.